Kozhikode
The Kozhikode Corporation remains helpless as stray dogs rule the major streets in the city round the clock, unleashing terror among local people, especially children. There has been a series of incidents in the past two months of stray dogs attacking people, resulting in at least 50 being hospitalised. Motor accidents caused by dogs running across the road have become common too. The State Human Rights Commission recently pulled up the corporation, asking it to control the stray dog menace.
"What are we supposed to do? We are doing everything that is legally possible", said S. Jayasree, Health Standing Committee Chairperson of the corporation.
Recently, she got a call from the District Court, asking for the corporation’s intervention to control the stray dogs that are running freely on the court premises. “The Supreme Court has banned the killing of dogs. If we get the permission to kill the ferocious ones, this would have been much easier”, Ms. Jayasree said.
The corporation has set up an Animal Birth Control Centre at Poolakkadavu, where around 17 dogs are being sterilised on a daily basis. The ABC centre was set up with the express purpose to control the stray dog population, but it is not showing the desired results as fast as required. The corporation organised a street dog adoption camp named “Bow bow Fest” a few months ago, which was a success, with around 50 puppies being adopted. It started the licensing of pet animals recently, which is again a step to prevent abandonment of pets.
With none of these activities getting any tangible results, there has been a demand for a dog park where stray dogs could be sheltered without causing any trouble to the public. "We set aside funds for the dog park in two budgets. But wherever we found suitable land for it, the local people protested. They don't want it in their backyard", Ms. Jayasree said. Similarly, the idea of a pet crematorium has been mooted, which is also in limbo due to non-availability of land and public protest.
"The public feeding the stray dogs and throwing away waste, including food, is a contributing factor to the multiplication of stray dogs", the Chairperson said.
